Login architecture for network access through a cable system

• US 6,697,864 B1
• Filed: 10/18/1999
• Issued: 02/24/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Demirtjis, Ann, Jeffrey, Mark T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Zarni
• Application Number:
  US09/420,352
• Time in Patent Office: 1,590 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217, 709/218, 709/219, 709/223, 709/225, 709/226, 709/227, 709/229, 709/249, 709/250
• US Class Current: 709/229
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0272 Virtual private networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32

Abstract

A login architecture for a computer to access an external network, such as the Internet, through a cable network provides session-based connection to the external computer network. The home computer is first assigned a restricted network address by the cable network. With the restricted network address, the user may access a “walled garden” of the cable network, but cannot access the external computer network. To access the external computer network, a session-based connection, such as a “tunnel” under the Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol, is formed between the home computer and a connection server of the cable network, and the user is authenticated over the session-based connection. A second network address usable for accessing the external network is then assigned to the home computer. The home computer sends network communication packets using the public network address through the session-based connection to the connection provider, which forwards the communication packets to the external computer network. The login architecture may be implemented to provide connection to the external network on a per-user account basis or on a home account basis. In the case whether the external network is the Internet, a selection of Internet service providers (ISPs) for Internet access through the cable network is provided by using multiple connection servers connected to different ISPs.

Claims

1. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing steps for a computer to access a computer network through a cable system, comprising:

establishing a session with a connection server of the cable system using a first network address of the cable system;

providing authentication information within the session to the connection server;

receiving a second network address routable through the computer network;

constructing network packets using the second network address for communication with the computer network; and

transmitting the network packets to the connection server within the session with the connection server for forwarding to the computer network.

2. A computer-readable medium as in claim 1, wherein the computer network is a wide-area network.

3. A computer-readable medium as in claim 2, wherein the wide-area network is the Internet, and the second network address is a public network address routable through the Internet.

4. A computer-readable medium as in claim 3, wherein the session is a tunnel formed under the Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol.

5. A computer-readable medium as in claim 4, wherein the step of providing authentication information includes forming a Point-to-Point Protocol session within the tunnel and sending the authentication information in the Point-to-Point Protocol session.

6. A computer-readable medium as in claim 1, wherein the authentication information includes login data of a user of said computer.

7. A computer-readable medium as in claim 1, wherein said computer is a gateway computer of a local area network, and wherein the step of constructing network packets includes receiving original network packets from a second computer on the local area network, and performing network address translation on the received original network packets to form said network packets for transmission to the connection server with the session.

8. A computer-readable medium as in claim 1, wherein the step of transmitting the network packets includes sending the network packets to a gateway computer connected to the cable network to perform network address translation on the network packets.

9. A method of connecting a computer to an external computer network through a cable system, comprising the steps of:

establishing a session with a connection server of the cable system using a first network address of the cable system;

providing, by the computer within the session, authentication information to the connection server;

sending, by the connection server after verifying the authentication information, to the computer a second network address routable through the external computer network;

constructing, by the computer, network packets using the second network address for communication with the external computer network; and

transmitting, by the computer within the session with the connection server, the network packets to the connection server for forwarding to the external computer network.

10. A method as in claim 9, wherein the external computer network is the Internet.

11. A method as in claim 9, wherein the step of establishing the session with the connection server creates a tunnel to the connection server under the Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol.

12. A method as in claim 11, wherein the step of providing authentication information includes forming a Point-to-Point Protocol session within the tunnel and sending the authentication information in the Point-to-Point Protocol session.

13. A method as in claim 9, wherein the authentication information includes login data of a user of said computer.

14. A method as in claim 9, wherein said computer is a gateway computer of a local area network, and wherein the step of constructing network packets includes receiving original network packets from a second computer on the local area network, and performing network address translation on the received original network packets to form said network packets for transmission to the connection server.

15. A method as in claim 9, wherein the step of transmitting the network packets includes sending the network packets to a gateway computer connected to the cable network, and performing, by the gateway computer, network address translation on the network packets.

16. A cable system for connecting a home computer to an external computer network, comprising:

a private computer network; and

cable media connecting the home computer to the private computer network;

the private computer network including a connection server and an address allocation server, the address allocation server allocating a restricted network address to the home computer for accessing the private computer network and a public network address for accessing the external computer network;

the connection server connected to a network service provider for providing connectivity to the external computer network and programmed for establishing a communication tunnel with the home computer, receiving authentication information from the home computer through the communication tunnel, assigning and sending a public network address to the home computer for accessing the external computer network, receiving network packets using the public network address sent by the home computer through the communication tunnel, and forwarding the network packets to the external computer network.

17. A cable system as in claim 16, wherein the external computer network is the Internet.

18. A cable system as in claim 16, wherein the private computer network further includes a second connection server connected to a second network service provider for connectivity to the external computer network.

19. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing steps by a connection server of a cable system to connect a computer to an external computer network through a cable network of the cable system, comprising:

establishing a session with the computer over the cable network, the session initiated by the computer using a restricted network address of the cable system allocated to the computer;

receiving authentication information within the session from the computer;

assigning to the computer, after verifying the authentication information, a public network address routable through the external computer network;

receiving from the computer within the session established therewith packets using the public network address for communication with the external computer network; and

forwarding the network packets to a network service provider of the external computer network.

20. A computer-readable medium as in claim 19, wherein the external computer network is the Internet.

21. A computer-readable medium as in claim 20, wherein the session with the computer is a tunnel formed under the Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol.

22. A computer-readable medium as in claim 21, wherein the step of receiving authentication information includes forming a Point-to-Point Protocol session with the computer within the tunnel and receiving the authentication information in the Point-to-Point Protocol session.

23. A computer-readable medium as in claim 19, wherein the authentication information includes login data of a user of said computer.